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Cholamandalam puts tech investment plans on hold, refines its digital approach.

Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, a Chennai-based NBFC, has reduced its technology spending in FY25 to ₹101 crore, marking a 5% decline from the previous year. This decrease comes after three consecutive years of heavy technology-led expansion, during which the company’s tech spends had risen significantly. In FY24, the company’s tech spends had increased by 49% to ₹106 crore, following a 43% jump in FY23 and a 51% surge in FY22.

The company’s executives attribute the earlier phase of accelerated spending to a deliberate push to build a digital-first backbone. Over the last three years, Cholamandalam has digitised customer onboarding, deployed AI-driven risk scoring, automated loan origination, and strengthened collections via mobile-led solutions. However, the company is now shifting its focus from investing in new technologies to extracting greater value from its existing platforms.

This recalibration is part of a broader trend across the NBFC sector, with market leaders such as Bajaj Finance and Shriram Finance also shifting away from large-scale capital expenditures. Instead, they are focusing on embedding analytics in decision-making, cross-selling to existing customers, and expanding their reach in Tier-II and Tier-III markets. Industry analysts believe that this moderation signals a new phase in the sector’s digital journey, where companies are now focusing on sweating their assets, embedding AI/ML into underwriting, and monetising customer data.

For Cholamandalam, technology remains central to its strategy, despite the slowdown in spending. The company is sharpening its focus on first-time borrowers, MSMEs, and rural markets, where digital sourcing and risk management provide competitive advantages. Partnerships with fintechs, enhanced mobile-first collections, and analytics-driven credit decisions are expected to power the next leg of growth. Increased automation has also improved efficiency by streamlining processes and cutting processing times.

By moderating its tech spends and doubling down on data-driven efficiencies, Cholamandalam is positioning itself for sustainable growth at a time when credit demand and competition among lenders are intensifying. The company’s assets under management (AUM) have exceeded ₹1.6 trillion, and it is well-placed to leverage its digital capabilities to drive future growth. Overall, Cholamandalam’s decision to reduce its technology spending is a strategic move to focus on extracting greater value from its existing platforms and driving sustainable growth in the long term.

Shriram Finance awards PHD India its integrated media mandate following a competitive multi-agency pitch.

PHD India has successfully secured the integrated media mandate for Shriram Finance, a leading financial services company in India. The agency won the mandate after a multi-agency pitch, demonstrating its expertise and capabilities in delivering innovative media solutions.

Shriram Finance is a prominent player in the Indian financial sector, offering a range of products and services including commercial vehicle finance, passenger vehicle finance, and small ticket finance, among others. The company has a strong presence across the country, with a large network of branches and a significant customer base.

As part of the mandate, PHD India will be responsible for handling the entire media duties for Shriram Finance, including media planning, buying, and execution. The agency will work closely with the client to develop and implement a comprehensive media strategy that aligns with their business objectives and helps to achieve their marketing goals.

The win is a significant milestone for PHD India, as it demonstrates the agency’s ability to deliver innovative and effective media solutions that meet the evolving needs of clients. PHD India has a strong track record of delivering successful media campaigns for its clients, and this win is expected to further strengthen its position in the Indian market.

The multi-agency pitch saw participation from several leading agencies, and PHD India’s win is a testament to its expertise and capabilities in the media space. The agency’s ability to think creatively, combined with its data-driven approach and expertise in delivering innovative media solutions, helped it to stand out from the competition and secure the mandate.

Commenting on the win, a spokesperson from PHD India said, “We are thrilled to have secured the integrated media mandate for Shriram Finance. Our team worked tirelessly to demonstrate our expertise and capabilities, and we are excited to work with the client to deliver innovative media solutions that meet their business objectives.”

The win is expected to further strengthen PHD India’s position in the Indian market, and the agency is looking forward to working with Shriram Finance to deliver successful media campaigns that drive business growth and achievement. With this mandate, PHD India will continue to build on its success and reinforce its reputation as a leading media agency in India.

Shriram Finance has initiated the process of accepting bids for a reissue of its bonds, according to banking sources.

Shriram Finance Limited is a leading non-banking finance company (NBFC) in India that specializes in providing financial services to small road transport operators and small business owners. The company’s primary focus is on organized financing of pre-owned commercial vehicles and two-wheelers, catering to the growing demands of the transportation sector. With a vertically integrated business model, Shriram Finance offers a diverse range of financing products to meet the varied needs of its customers. These products include loans for passenger commercial vehicles, micro and small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), tractors and farm equipment, gold, personal loans, and working capital loans.

The company’s operations are divided into three key areas: loan origination, asset valuation, and collections. Its loan origination process involves evaluating the creditworthiness of potential borrowers and facilitating the disbursement of loans. The asset valuation process ensures that the company accurately assesses the value of pre-owned commercial vehicles and other assets, minimizing the risk of default. The collections process involves recovering repayments from borrowers, which is critical to the company’s sustainability.

In addition to its core financing business, Shriram Finance has a presence in several other areas, including consumer finance, life insurance, general insurance, stockbroking, and distribution businesses. This diversified portfolio enables the company to offer a broad range of financial services to its customers, making it a one-stop-shop for their financial needs. With its extensive expertise and experience in the financial services sector, Shriram Finance has established itself as a trusted and reliable partner for small business owners and transport operators in India.

Overall, Shriram Finance Limited is a prominent player in India’s NBFC sector, with a strong focus on serving the financial needs of small business owners and transport operators. Its diversified product portfolio, vertically integrated business model, and presence in multiple financial services segments position it for continued growth and success in the Indian market. By providing accessible and affordable financial services, Shriram Finance is contributing to the growth and development of India’s economy, particularly in the small and medium enterprise sector.

Shriram Finance’s winning strategy: Targeting underserved semi-urban and rural markets propels its remarkable AUM growth.

The article discusses the business strategy of Shriram Finance Limited (SFL), a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in India. SFL has a people-centric approach and relies on a network of branches, staff, and collection agents to operate. The company does not plan to go fully digital and instead focuses on personalized customer interactions.

SFL has a cautious approach to lending and avoids large ticket size and long-term loans. The company prefers small ticket sizes, with tenures of around three to five years, and does not lend to the affluent. Instead, it focuses on small families in rural and semi-urban areas. SFL has a strong presence in rural areas, with around 650 rural centers that will be converted into branches as the business volume increases.

The company exited its housing loans business due to the large ticket size and long tenures, which limited its liability sources. SFL shed its consumer durables financing business early on and instead focuses on gold loans, two-wheeler loans, and SME loans. The company finds these products promising due to their smaller ticket size and shorter tenures.

SFL is not keen to become a bank, as the cost of operations is higher. Instead, the company prefers to remain an NBFC, which allows it to reach customers and lend faster than a bank. The company’s strategy is to focus on a growing network of branches, staff, and collection agents to operate efficiently.

The article also highlights the importance of learning from mistakes, with SFL’s MD, Chakravarti, noting that the company allows its employees to make mistakes as part of the learning process. However, the company also emphasizes the need to ensure that mistakes do not become too expensive. Overall, SFL’s strategy is to focus on small-ticket size loans, personalized customer interactions, and a people-centric approach to operate efficiently and grow its business.

Shriram Finance recorded a net worth of Rs 8,938.61 crore in Q3, driven primarily by its SME loan portfolio in Tamil Nadu.

Shriram Finance Ltd, a leading finance company, has reported a significant growth in its assets under management (AUM) to Rs 8,938.61 crore for the October-December 2024 quarter. The company’s small and medium enterprises (SME) portfolio has seen a notable expansion, with AUM rising to Rs 8,938.61 crore from Rs 5,170.49 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year. This growth is attributed to the increasing demand from various industries, including manufacturing, automotive parts, production, and construction.

The company is focusing on expanding its branch network and prioritizing digital lending to professionals and enterprises. Its strategy is centered around providing credit access to SMEs, empowering production units, industrial manufacturers, and the unorganized sector. Shriram Finance Ltd is committed to solidifying its leadership in SME lending and supporting entrepreneurs and businesses across Tamil Nadu.

According to the company’s Deputy Managing Director, Muruganandha Pandiyan, the SME sector is a vital engine of economic growth, contributing significantly to GDP and employment. With the government’s emphasis on financial inclusion, digital transformation, and credit facilitation, SMEs are poised for further growth, enhancing their competitiveness and resilience in a dynamic economy.

Shriram Finance Ltd’s efforts to promote SME growth are in line with the government’s initiatives, such as the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE), which aims to facilitate credit access to SMEs. The company’s commitment to SME lending is expected to continue, with a focus on leveraging digital technologies to improve the lending process and increase access to credit for small and medium-sized businesses.

Truck rentals languished in February, according to Shriram Mobility’s bulletin.

The February 2025 truck rental market was sluggish due to decreased demand from the infrastructure sector, according to a monthly bulletin released by Sriram Finance. While some routes like Delhi-Kolkata-Delhi and Bengaluru-Mumbai-Bengaluru saw slight increases in truck rentals, others like Delhi-Hyderabad-Delhi experienced a 1.1% decline. The bulletin also reported a slowdown in vehicle sales across all segments, with buyers delaying purchases until new fiscal-year discounts in March-April. Motor car sales dropped 37%, agricultural trailers and tractors fell 30% and 31%, respectively, and commercial vehicle sales, including goods carriers, three-wheelers, and commercial tractors, also declined. The electric vehicle market continued to see declining sales, with EV 2-wheeler and car sales plummeting 28% and 34%, respectively. The only exception was E-rickshaws, which saw an 11% increase. The sluggish demand was also reflected in fuel consumption patterns, with decreases in petrol and diesel usage, and flat FASTag transaction volumes. Y.S. Chakravarti, Managing Director and CEO of Shriram Finance Ltd., attributes the low demand to the impact of the recent RBI rate cut and notes that manufacturers may move goods to commercial hubs in March, potentially increasing trucking activity.